


That’s a Candlenights to Me

by charmandhex



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, TAZ Candlenights Exchange 2019, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22279090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charmandhex/pseuds/charmandhex
Summary: It’s the first Candlenights since the Day of Story and Song, and there’s seasonal shenanigans to be had for our favorite flip wizard and his family.
Relationships: Angus McDonald & Taako, Barry Bluejeans & Taako, Barry Bluejeans/Lup, Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone), Lup & Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 123
Collections: The Candlenights Zone (2019 Exchange)





	That’s a Candlenights to Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [a_big_apple](https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_big_apple/gifts).



> I do not consent to having my work hosted on any unofficial apps, particularly those with ad revenue or subscription services.

It’s Candlenights. Or, close enough anyway. Candlenights season. Candlenights adjacent.

Which means it’s fuckin’ _cold_. Cold and snowy, with flakes drifting down from a sky absolutely filled with white clouds and making a lie of Neverwinter’s name. As for Taako, he’s more blanket than elf at the moment, in bed and buried under half a dozen blankets and approximately three cats’ worth of warmth (Fluffy, bless her bony skeleton ass, doesn’t contribute much warmth). And fantasy physics applies, because a Taako warm and at rest is not going anywhere.

Candlenights, and the whole winter season, is hard. Or was hard. Is hard still? For ten years, and over a clouded century’s worth of memories on top of that, Taako had been entirely on his own, which is a shitty place to be during both the holidays and winter. Even with his memories back, with his family back, with _Lup_ back, he’s still got memories both fake and entirely too real to contend with, and this is the first winter that all of that is on a collision course.

So Taako’s good in here, in his blanket burrito (as described by Joaquin during an extra-long-distance call), rather than out in a house that’s currently much too empty, with only the cats for company (though they’re definitely better conversation than some).

Taako’s ears twitch. Had that been a far-off thump in the house? It’s hard to tell, with sound muffled by blankets just as it is by snow outside. Anyway, if there _were_ a thump somewhere in the house, then it’s probably just one of the cats, about to start on an inexplicable frantic run about the place.

The bedroom door flies open with a bang, and that is exactly all of the warning Taako gets before someone leaps into the air only to crash less than gracefully into Taako, knocking the wind out of him and sending the cats running.

“Hey, dingus,” Lup greets him, entirely unrepentant.

“You- have- a- corporeal- form- again!” Taako struggles to get out from under both blankets and Lup enough to properly yell at his dearly beloved sister.

“Uh, _yeah_. And your point is?”

“Did you forget those have weight? Were you trying to get bird mom to _have_ to hire me early?” Taako wiggles out, knocking the blanket from Istus off.

“I missed you, too.” Lup rolls off of Taako to the side, only to steal the discarded blanket and snuggle into Taako. “I forgot how _cold_ winter is.” Lup complains.

“Just because you’ve only had this body for two months doesn’t mean you get to steal my warmth.” Taako retorts even as he fidgets closer to his sister.

Lup scoffs. “I’m warmer anyway; you’re stealing mine.”

“We can’t all be world-renowned evocation experts.”

“That’s multi-plane-renowned, thank you, and we can’t all be because some of us have to be good at transmutation, too.” The twins are comfortable, and quiet, for a while. “So, we’re just gonna hang here indefinitely then?” Taako opens an eye again. Lup is watching the snow fall, floating on the wind past the window.

“Uh, yeah, it’s _cold_.”

“Hm.”

“Hm?”

“Give me a minute. Or thirty.” And then Lup is up, and out the door with a swish of Taako’s blanket. Taako, for his part, makes a few disgruntled noises and settles back down. Having slightly extricated himself from the burrito, he can better hear distant noises from the kitchen below.

Some time later, Lup is back. Of course she is. And of course, Taako smells what’s coming well before she arrives.

“That’s a lot of carbs,” Taako says as the door opens, having wiggled up to sitting.

“Uh, yeah, it’s the best way to get ready for a big ol’ nap.” Lup sits on the bed, more carefully this time, and sets down a tray heaping with scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, and two mimosas. It smells amazing, and Lup sits, leaning into Taako and handing him a fork.

It’s the highest levels of refinement, all perfectly cooked, natch, and after eating absolutely all of it, the twins curl up for a nice, warm nap even as the snowfall picks up outside.

* * *

Angus looks up at Taako and then back down at the hill, eyes tracking it all the way to the bottom. “Sir, this looks dangerous.”

“Yeah, but that’s what makes it fun.”

“My armor class is shit.”

“So’s mine; do you see me complaining?”

“All the time, sir.”

“It’s not like it’s gonna kill us.”

“Aren’t you going to get into trouble with the Raven Queen and Mr. Kravitz if you die again?”

“We’re not gonna die!” Taako throws his hands up. “Listen, I asked Magnus about fun… kid winter stuff, and he said sledding.”

“I’ve never been sledding in my life.”

“Yeah? Most kids have never tried to catch a murderer, and I’m pretty sure that’s more dangerous.”

Angus looks back down the hill, and Taako can practically see the math around his magic boy’s head as Angus calculates just how likely this is to end with a call to either Merle or Barry. “One time.” Angus holds up one finger. “On one condition.”

“Making conditions, little man?”

“Two words, sir: snow. Wizard.”

Taako sighs. “You drive a hard bargain. But fine.”

“Actually, two conditions. Hot chocolate afterward.”

“Oh, that one’s a done deal, pumpkin.”

Angus grins and plops down into the sled. “Let’s go!” Taako pushes the sled closer to the edge before joining him. “On my mark! Three, two-”

Taako pushes them off on two.

Angus is yelling as they pick up speed, which soon turns to shouts of excitement. Taako’s got to admit; this is a pretty baller sledding hill, the slope long enough for a good sledding, no trees or rocks run into.

Actually, no real way to stop at all. And the snow bank at the bottom is getting _really_ close really fast. They’re slowing down now, on the shallower stretch, but still too fast. And they fly straight into the snowbank.

Cold. Snow is cold. Taako pushes back out of it, shaking snow out of his face, looking around frantically. Shit, shit, shit, is Angus-

Angus pops out of the snow bank, shaking off snow and righting his glasses. “Let’s go again! Can you use Magic Missile to make us go faster, sir?”

Angus is fine.

After more sledding with the addition of a few spell slots (Jump, Levitate, and Spider Climb, notably), it’s onto snowmen. Or, snow wizards, as Angus had insisted. Either way, Taako has to roll several massive snowballs to make snow people. Only to watch in amusement as the boy makes a considerable show of studying Taako as he positions two icicles for elf ears. In response, Taako makes his own smaller snow wizard as nerdy-looking as possible, shaping a rock into an exact copy of Angus’s glasses.

In the end, Taako is inclined to call it a draw. Plus Kravitz will get a kick out of it later. Though Lup and-

“Hey, bud. Hey, buddy. What’s-” Speak of the necromancer and Barold will appear. Barry stops where he stands just inside the gate, eyes wide and staring incredulously, bag of groceries (and possibly necromantic spell components) lowering to his side. In the next moment, the bag has been dropped entirely into the snow as Barry lets out a laugh that fills the yard. And then he keeps laughing, peals of laughter ringing out as Barry’s face turns red as, well, his robe and tears come to his eyes. Every time Taako thinks he’s starting to taper off, Barry will look up at the snow Taako and snow Angus and start laughing again.

At least, he’s laughing right up until a snowball is Catapulted right into his face. Barry stops laughing, rising from his position half-doubled over in laughter, blinking in astonishment. Angus immediately points at Taako.

“Angus, you little traitor!” Taako yells as Barry gets that look in his eye, the one that usually precedes an experiment ending in either an accidental horde of zombies or an explosion in the lab. Or both.

Snowball fights might be fun, but magical snowball fights are on a whole other level. Especially if you’re Taako, and you did actually prepare Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm this morning. Though he maintains that all forts should be made of snow and not just conjured up. At the end of the snowball fight, Taako, Angus, and Barry are drinking hot chocolate inside. Outside, there are five snow figures now: one shorter one with glasses, one with a hat and a twin with an umbrella, one with a long stick with a curved blade of ice on the end, and one somehow wearing an old study pair of blue jeans.

* * *

Taako steps out onto the ice. His foot slides, and Taako slips, but Kravitz catches him. “Thanks, babe,” Taako says with a wry smile, and Kravitz looks away for a moment. And that’s interesting. Taako suspects that if Kravitz had a proper pulse going on, he’d be blushing. Taako has been working on his favorite nicknames for Kravitz, so he files that reaction away for later.

Kravitz clears his throat. “Ah- you’re welcome. Oh, here let me-” Taako takes Kravitz’s offered support to straighten up, thanking him with a peck on a cheek that doesn’t seem quite so cold when literally everything is cold. “Ready to try that again?” Kravitz asks, a wide smile on his face.

“Uh, natch.” The next step is less of a stumble, and Taako skates out a few feet onto the ice before (mostly) gracefully spinning about to look at Kravitz.

And you know, there’s something to be said for watching the actual Grim Reaper (and Taako’s boyfriend) take a tentative step out onto the ice himself. Kravitz pushes himself forward, slow, somewhat wobbly, and-

“Wait, how do I stop again?!” Kravitz nearly yelps before bumping into Taako, and this time it’s Taako’s turn to steady Kravitz. “Sorry, uh, it’s been… at least a millennium.”

“Nah, bones, you’re good, you’re good.” Digging a toe into the ice, Taako is careful to keep Kravitz’s momentum from carrying them too far into the path of other skaters. What is it about winter activities that invariably place you in the position to be even colder than usual?

“But, um, Taako, dear? How _do_ you stop?” Kravitz mumbles, and Taako laughs.

“Easy way’s like this.” Taako takes a step out and demonstrates, gliding across the ice, moving his feet in close together and further out, accelerating and decelerating. “Simple, right?”  
“Implying there’s a hard way?”

“I thought that one was obvious. Crashing into a wall.”

Kravitz laughs, and, damn, there’s a sound Taako could really get -and has gotten- used to. “Let’s avoid that one.”

“Good plan.”

They take off slowly at first, close but not holding hands just yet as Kravitz remembers how to skate. Taako figures it’s like riding a bike, except Kravitz didn’t have one of those when he was still alive either. And it’s not like Taako doesn’t appreciate the slow start either. His own footsteps are less sure, and the lines he carves are just a smidge less even, than they would have been a year earlier. Though that process was considerably less organic.

“Taako? Are you all right?”

“Huh?” Taako snaps his head up from where he’s been looking at ice, not a garishly illuminated dance floor. Kravitz looks concerned. “Oh, uh, yeah, just y’know. Remembering. Where the ol’ flip wizard dex went. But, hey.” Taako would lean over to nudge Kravitz with his shoulder if he didn’t think the movement would send both of them toppling over. Instead he settles for tapping his shoulder. “We can relearn this shit together. Now.” Taako claps his hands together. “Race ya around the rink.”

He doesn’t give Kravitz a chance to respond before taking off. Kravitz’s laughter follows him around the rink, and Taako is laughing as he finishes his loop, even rapidly spinning to quick, not altogether shaky stop.

What Taako hadn’t accounted for in stopping was Kravitz.

And what Kravitz hasn’t accounted for, as he rapidly tries to slow down now, is Taako.

Kravitz once more crashes into Taako, though this time with considerably more speed. And this time? Well, this time, physics works.

“Taako! Are you all right?” Kravitz is frantic, and Taako takes stock. Cold, yes. Colder now, actually. One the ice, most definitely knocked prone on the ice. Though his dignity seems to have taken more of a hit than his HP. And something else altogether strikes him: a realization.

Taako resumes laughing, laughing harder, actually. In between gasps of laughter, Taako manages to get out, “Hey. Hey, Krav. Looks like we fell for each other.”

Kravitz’s face brightens when he realizes that Taako is fine, and he laughs as well. For a few moments, that’s all they can do. Eventually, they stand up, gradually, cautiously, having helped each other up and still holding hands. Maybe it’s the cold, maybe it’s the tiny shards of ice clinging to his clothing, maybe it’s the two layers of gloves between them, but Kravitz’s hand feels warmer than usual in Taako’s.

* * *

It’s Candlenights. Candlenights proper, this time. And last-minute preparations are well underway.

The Candlenights bush has been set up and bedecked with candles. Or, at least, it _was_ bedecked with candles. Half of the candles have been scattered across the floor, a result of Toast launching herself up into the bush and positioning herself squarely in the middle of the branches. That particular issue Taako has left to Kravitz, who is running the gamut of work voices as he alternates pleading and threats and reaches into the greenery, trying to tug the cat out. Toast, for her part, is objecting loudly, while Crème and Fluffy circle Kravitz’s feet, trying to trip him up.

Kravitz is entirely alone in this endeavor as well, with the other occupants of the house otherwise occupied. Angus is darting around from room to room, lighting numerous floating candles, seemingly following the least efficient path around the entirety of the first floor, as he spots another unlit candle in the next room.

Barry, meanwhile, hasn’t learned from a century of lessons and has been conned into helping the twins lay out the enormous spread. Or probably bribed. By both of them, individually, without consulting the other. Taako had promised to look the other way when he’d foisted a cheese platter off on Barry, and he’s pretty sure Lup is going to sneakily pass him at least one slice of cheesecake. Though Barry _has_ died in stupider ways, and it’s Candlenights. But for the moment, Barry is carefully moving a platter of what Taako would approximate to be a metric fuckton of potatoes from the kitchen to the dining room.

Taako and Lup, natch, are ruling their domain, the kitchen a tornado of carefully coordinated activity, their methods perfected with centuries of practice. Taako puts a clean cutting board near the resting turkey, in a space just vacated by a pie he hands to Barry even as Barry walks back through the door while Lup pulls a sauce off the heat, tasting one last time as she goes. Taako finishes a dish with the sauce and garnish while Lup starts to carve the turkey. To the untrained eye, it’s chaos; to those that know, it’s a performance of the highest caliber, and it’s nearing its conclusion.

Amidst all the chaos (Kravitz) and non-chaos (Lup and Taako), the doorbell rings, signaling the first arrival.

Taako looks up at Lup, arching an eyebrow. “Magnus.”

“Magnus.” Lup nods in agreement even as she’s concentrating.

“I’ll get it!” Angus yells, sprinting through the living room past the Menorah in its place of honor in the front window as well as a disheveled Kravitz still half stuck in the Candlenights bush to the front hall. And even from here, Taako hears the front door open.

“He-”

“Ango!” Magnus Burnsides interrupts Angus’s greeting, no doubt sweeping the kid up in a hug. “Are you ready for this party to really get started?” Taako and Lup turn to each other and mouth, _called it_. With everything essentially done at this point, Taako takes the moment to stick his head out into the hallway.

“You’re blocking the door, Maggie!” Merle’s voice calls loudly, and Magnus releases Angus and steps aside to reveal one disgruntled beach dwarf accompanied by Mavis and Mookie.

“Hello, sirs. Hello, Mavis and Mookie.” Angus greets them. “Happy Candlenights.”

“Yeah, yeah, happy Candlenights, kid.” Merle grumbles, but it’s a friendly Merle grumble. Ever the fancy lad, Angus is good at playing host and ushering everyone inside (though with the heat in the kitchen, Taako finds he actually appreciates the cold breeze accompanying them).

“What happened to you?” Taako hears Merle shout, and with a nod of approval from Lup, Taako steps into the living room. Merle is looking incredulously at Kravitz. This is entirely understandable, since it looks like the Grim Reaper got into a fight with a shrub and is losing. “Does this family have a habit of losing arms on Candlenights and replacing them with trees or what?”

“Oh, no, no, Merle, just, uh, Toast is-”

There’s a woof from Johann, sitting attentively at Magnus’s feet. “Magnus, if your dog chases the cats-”

“Oh, he won’t!” Magnus reassures. “Johann, no chasing the cats. Be chill, okay?” Johann tilts his head to the side and lets out another woof. “It’s cool; I have animal proficiency. Speaking of animal proficiency, if I may?” Magnus asks Kravitz, gesturing grandly at their now somewhat woebegone Candlenights bush.

“Well, you can-” Kravitz starts to say, withdrawing his arm, before Magnus sticks nearly his entire head in the shrub.

“Oh hi there!” Despite Taako’s expectations of some form of near cartoonish violence, Magnus exits the tree with a contented, purring Toast in his arms. Traitor. “I told you! Animal proficiency!” Crème leaps up to Magnus’s back, scrambling the rest of the way up to his shoulder. Double traitors. Fluffy starts playing with some of the candles on the floor.

The doorbell rings again. Lup, having finished with the turkey in the meantime, sprints down the hallway just as Angus did, skidding to a halt in stocking feet and laughing the whole way. “Cap’n’port!” Lup gives a jaunty salute, and Taako lets out a laugh seeing his sister.

“Lup, please.” Davenport says as he enters, Lup closing the door behind him.

“Captain Davenport Davenport, it is Candlenights, and I will show you the proper respect.”

“Lup, please you know my name is-”

“Nope!” Davenport sighs. “Cider is ready to go, Cap’n’port sir!”

“You’re forgiven,” he tells her with a weary smile.

They begin migrating further into the house, some to comfortable chairs, most to food and drink (with Mookie eating what Taako would estimate to be a quarter of the rock candy in one go). And after that it’s near non-stop, Ren arriving with profiteroles carefully assembled into a Candlenights bush-shaped croquembouche, a wide smile, and another three stacks of paperwork for Taako to get to. With her come June, Roswell, and Paloma (and scones). Carey and Killian are next, with Carey greeting Magnus in a sneak attack hug and promptly refusing to quite literally get off the fighter’s back for a solid five minutes. This is much to Mookie’s amusement, and the boy latches himself onto Magnus’s leg. Next to arrive are more former coworkers from the BoB. Brad is very earnest in his thanks for being invited until Taako manages to push him off onto Barry, while Avi and Pringles double the number of drinks available (apparently Leon is off on a beach somewhere, far, far away from Taako). As soon as Taako gets out of talking to Brad though, another someone launches themselves into hugging him, and Taako greets Hurley and Sloane, promising another race and maybe even a double date in the near future. Antonia and Rowan follow them in, politely thanking Taako for the invitation before the druid and ranger get into a deep conversation with the dryads.

It strikes Taako that the Taaco-Bluejeans household has never been this full. Shit, are they in violation of some kind of code? Eh, fuck building occupancy code; who’s gonna call the militia on the saviors of the universe, and Lord Artemis Sterling owes them besides.

With a moment before things really get going, Taako takes the opportunity for a second to breathe, just a second you know, and looks over the Candlenights cards. Klaarg and the bugbear family have sent their own season’s greetings, along with a tea sampler that’s currently in the pantry. Lucas scribbled a “Happy Candlenights!” on Angus’s glowing report card. Graham sent a postcard from the Rockport Limited, to no one’s surprise, while Jess’s card is less a card and more a wrestling promo (also signed by Jeff Angel). There’s even a too formal letter from Lord Artemis Sterling that Taako suspects Merle bullied him into writing himself.

There’s another doorbell.

Lucretia is surprised when Taako answers the door, just as he is surprised to see her there.

“I, uh- look, Lup invited me, so I thought I would- say hi to her, and to Magnus and Merle if they’re here- and be- be on my way.”

Taako considers. He’s not ready to forgive Lucretia, probably won’t ever be ready to, barely ready to deal with her now, even having seen her several times since. And Taako steps to the side. “Mulled wine’s in the dining room.” He offers as his only greeting.

Lucretia hesitantly steps in, and Taako closes the door behind them. “Lucy!” Magnus charges down the hallway, and Taako takes a step back to avoid the onslaught of their resident tank as he seizes Lucretia in a hug.

“Thanks, Koko,” Lup says, gently nudging her brother, having appeared out of thin air.

“It’s because it’s Candlenights.”

“Mmhmm.” Lup’s answer suggests something more than that, but whatever it is, she doesn’t say. Taako doesn’t pry; he just nudges her right back.

Sometime later, with the party still in full swing, still full of food and cheer and laughter and love, it really hits him. This is the future they’d fought so hard for. And Taako is good right here. So for a moment, Taako just stops, leaning against the doorframe with a half-smile on his lips, surveying it all.

In the center of it, Davenport and Avi have cleared off a table, and Ren, ever the prepared one, places parchment on it. The two engineers immediately set to work, designing who knows what, but with the half empty glasses next to them, Taako’s sure it’ll be interesting. Just as interesting is the way Ren turns bright purple when a distracted Avi ends up kissing her on the cheek to say thank you.

Avi doesn’t seem to realize what he’s just done, but Magnus does, starting to playfully tease Ren, telling Merle, who is busy keeping an eye on his kids and leaning on Davenport, and Carey. Carey, for her part, lights up at the news, telling Killian before returning to the conversation at hand, with Carey and Sloane eagerly explaining all of the different facets of the rogue class to proclaimed “baby rogue” June while Killian and Hurley affectionately watch their partners.

Magnus tries to tell Paloma next, but she’s surprisingly deep in conversation with a thoroughly engaged Pringles, probably talking about prophecies and scone magic and some really dank potions. Magnus, now thoroughly ignored, goes back to petting Johann, who is calmly lying down with Fluffy determinedly sprawled over him, and watching Davenport and Avi work while periodically piping up in the conversation between Rowan, Roswell, and Brad. Thankfully, the cats immediately realized that Roswell is not a bird, and that they are not to be trifled with.

Crème has found her desired lap of the evening, stretched across a surprised Lucretia’s lap, no doubt purring up a storm. Lucretia is petting her, as she ought to be, while talking quietly with Antonia. Even as Taako watches, Antonia throws her head back and laughs uproariously at something Lucretia said. Lucretia smiles.

Toast also is otherwise occupied with Angus, Mavis, and Mookie. Angus and Mavis are happily talking books and petting a content Toast, though Mookie alternates between running over to his father, hanging off of Brad or Magnus, and testing the cat’s patience.

Lup and Barry are slightly off to the side, with Barry sitting in an armchair and Lup draped over her husband. They seem to be off in their own world, staring into each other’s eyes with the love built over a century between them. If there were a pillow nearby, Taako might be tempted to chuck it at them.

“Having a good time?” Kravitz asks quietly behind Taako. Taako looks over his shoulder to see Kravitz smiling softly at him, eyes alight with love. And fuck, Taako’s probably not gonna get over that, huh?

“Yeah. Yeah, I am. How ‘bout you, bones? House full of the most notorious death criminals this side of 50 worlds?”

“I think I can manage.” Kravitz keeps smiling. “Did you realize though?”

“Realize?” Taako asks, turning around fully, head tilted to the side and eyebrows raised. Wordlessly, Kravitz points up, and Taako spots a sprig of mistletoe hanging off a tack at the top of the doorframe.

Taako knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is entirely Lup’s fault.

“Huh, uh, well, I guess this _has_ been more of a traditional Candlenights thing than usual,” Taako says before meeting Kravitz’s kiss halfway. It’s _nice_. Kissing Kravitz is always _nice_. Taako steps back for a moment. “Still not cold and weird,” he says before leaning back in to kiss Kravitz again. Taako has a hand on Kravitz’s face and one resting against his chest, and both of them are startled apart by a sudden, decisive thump in Kravitz’s chest.

“Well… that was unexpected,” Kravitz says, looking just as surprised as Taako. “I didn’t know I could do that.”

“Huh. Bet you can do it again,” Taako replies, his grin just this side of a smirk.

“Hey, lovebirds!” Lup yells across the room. “Come back to the party!”

Taako and Kravitz laugh before going to rejoin the rest of their family. It’s been a good Candlenights.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there!
> 
> Happy Candlenights, Apple! Coming in just under the wire, and I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> As always, kudos and comment to feed your local lich, and head to my works page or [charmandhex](https://charmandhex.tumblr.com/) for more content.


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